Minister admits he has said he will resign if Government axes Human Rights Act

A Liberal Democrat justice minister has said he will resign if the Government
repeals the Human Rights Act.

Lord McNally confirmed he had made the threat after the formation of the coalition, but claimed Foreign Secretary William Hague may take the same view.

The Conservative manifesto at general election pledged to replace the Human Rights Act - which has been strongly criticised by many Tories - with a British Bill of Rights.

But the coalition agreement watered down the proposal and instead promised to establish a commission to investigate the issue of a bill of rights that “incorporates and builds on all our obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights, ensures that these rights continue to be enshrined in British law, and protects and extends British liberties”.

Pressed in the House of Lords to confirm that he had told a meeting of LibDems that he would quit if the Human Rights Act was repealed, Lord McNally replied: "I did say that if, at the end of the term of this Government there was no Human Rights Act, there would be no Tom McNally."

The claim was made in a new booklet, published by Liberty. It also alleges Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne threatened to resign at the same meeting.

The proposal to axe the Human Rights Act has now firmly been kicked into the political long grass after it emerged that Nick Clegg, the Lib Dem deputy prime minister, has been put in charge of setting up the Commission.

A structural reform plan for the Ministry of Justice, which sets out the department’s priorities, said that “detailed scope and timetable” is still to be agreed with Mr Clegg.

The plan also only committed officials to establishing a UK Bill of Rights commission sometime during 2011. Unusually no end date was given for the commission’s work.

Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, supported Lord McNally’s stand. She said: “Nonetheless, it is always heartening when people of integrity stand up for what they believe and we admire the minister for his honesty and courage.”